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big seed alfalfa dodder, collared dodder, inelegant dodder, large-seed dodder

Boggs Lake dodder

Stems

yellow to orange, slender to medium.

yellow to orange, slender.

Inflorescences

loose to dense, paniculiform or corymbiform, sometimes originating endogenously;

bracts at base of clusters 1, at base of pedicels 0 or 1, ovate to lanceolate, membranous, margins entire, apex acute.

dense, glomerulate, 3–30-flowered, flowers sessile or subsessile, embedded in inflorescence of host;

bracts at base of clusters 1, at base of pedicels and/or flowers 0 or 1, lanceolate, membranous, margins entire, apex acute.

Pedicels

0.5–6 mm, usually papillate.

0–0.6 mm.

Flowers

5-merous, 3–4.5(–5.3) mm, fleshy, perianth cells convex, domelike, perianth and ovary usually papillate;

calyx creamy yellow to brownish, cupulate, 1/2–3/4 or longer than corolla tube length, divided 1/3–2/3 its length, not reticulate or shiny, lobes triangular-ovate to lanceolate, bases overlapping or not, margins entire, midvein not carinate, apex acute to attenuate;

corolla white, drying creamy yellow to dark brown, 2.5–4(–5) mm, tube campanulate to campanulate-cylindric, becoming subglobose or urceolate, 1.7–3 mm, not saccate, lobes suberect to erect, triangular-ovate, 1/3 to equaling corolla tube length, margins entire, apex acute, inflexed;

infrastaminal scales subspatulate to spatulate, 1.7–3 mm, equaling corolla tube length, bridged at 0.3–0.9 mm, usually rounded, rarely truncate or 2 or 3(or 4)-lobed, uniformly densely fimbriate, fimbriae 0.4–0.7 mm;

stamens barely exserted or included, shorter than corolla lobes;

filaments 0.3–0.7 mm;

anthers 0.3–0.8 × 0.2–0.5 mm;

styles filiform, 1–2.5 mm, equaling ovary.

4(or 5)-merous, 3–4 mm, membranous, calyx and corolla papillate;

calyx straw yellow, campanulate, equaling or longer than corolla tube length, divided 1/2–2/3 its length, finely reticulate, shiny, lobes triangular-ovate, bases not overlapping, margins entire, midvein not carinate, apex acuminate to long-attenuate, recurved;

corolla drying white or creamy white to brownish, 2.8–3.5 mm, tube cylindric-campanulate to urceolate, 1.5–2 mm, not saccate, lobes suberect to spreading, triangular-ovate, equaling corolla tube length, margins entire, apex acute to long-attenuate, recurved;

infrastaminal scales oblong-ovate, 1–1.3 mm, 1/2–2/3 corolla tube length, bridged at 0.2–0.3 mm, rounded, uniformly densely fimbriate, fimbriae 0.1–0.3 mm;

stamens included, shorter than corolla lobes;

filaments 0.1–0.3 mm;

anthers 0.4–0.5 × 0.3–0.4 mm;

styles filiform, 0.4–1.1 mm, 1/4 to ± equaling ovary.

Capsules

globose to subglobose, 2–3.5 × 1.9–4(–5) mm, thickened and raised around relatively mid-sized interstylar aperture, translucent, surrounded or capped by withered corolla, indehiscent.

globose to depressed-globose, 1.2–1.5 × 0.8–1.2 mm, not thickened or raised around relatively small interstylar aperture, not translucent, completely enclosed or capped by withered corolla, indehiscent.

Seeds

2–4, shape heterogeneous on same plant: obcompressed to weakly angled, broadly ellipsoid to transversely oblique, 1.4–1.8 × 1.2–1.6 mm, hilum region usually subterminal, rarely almost terminal.

1–4, obcompressed to slightly angled, subglobose to broadly ellipsoid, 0.9–1.2 × 0.8–1.1 mm, hilum region subterminal.

Cuscuta indecora

Cuscuta howelliana

Phenology Flowering Aug–Sep.
Habitat vernal pools.
Elevation 30–1000 m. (100–3300 ft.)
Distribution
from USDA
North America; Mexico; South America; West Indies
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

Cuscuta indecora is closely related to C. coryli; it differs by its usually five-merous, larger flowers, uniformly densely fimbriate infrastaminal scales, and more or less translucent, globose to subglobose capsules.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Inflorescences of Cuscuta howelliana develop inside inflorescences of Epilobium densiflorum, Eryngium, and Navarretia; the flowers apparently synchronize their anthesis with that of the host’s flowers and achieve both protection from the host and access to the pollinators of the host. When it parasitizes Diplacus and Downingia, the parasite flowers but does not produce seeds.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Calyces shorter than corolla tubes, divided 1/3–1/2 lengths, lobes triangular-ovate, bases overlapping.
var. indecora
1. Calyces longer than corolla tubes, divided 2/3 lengths, lobes lanceolate, bases not overlapping.
→ 2
2. Flower clusters loose; calyx lobe apices acute; hosts: herbs and woody plants, including Iva annua.
var. longisepala
2. Flower clusters dense; calyx lobe apices acute-attenuate; hosts: usually Iva annua, rarely Symphyotrichum.
var. attenuata
Source FNA vol. 14. FNA vol. 14.
Parent taxa Convolvulaceae > Cuscuta > subg. Grammica Convolvulaceae > Cuscuta > subg. Grammica
Sibling taxa
C. americana, C. approximata, C. azteca, C. boldinghii, C. brachycalyx, C. californica, C. campestris, C. cephalanthi, C. chinensis, C. compacta, C. coryli, C. cuspidata, C. dentatasquamata, C. denticulata, C. draconella, C. epilinum, C. epithymum, C. erosa, C. europaea, C. exaltata, C. glabrior, C. glomerata, C. gronovii, C. harperi, C. howelliana, C. japonica, C. jepsonii, C. legitima, C. leptantha, C. liliputana, C. mitriformis, C. nevadensis, C. obtusiflora, C. occidentalis, C. odontolepis, C. pacifica, C. pentagona, C. plattensis, C. polygonorum, C. rostrata, C. runyonii, C. salina, C. squamata, C. suaveolens, C. subinclusa, C. suksdorfii, C. tuberculata, C. umbellata, C. umbrosa, C. warneri
C. americana, C. approximata, C. azteca, C. boldinghii, C. brachycalyx, C. californica, C. campestris, C. cephalanthi, C. chinensis, C. compacta, C. coryli, C. cuspidata, C. dentatasquamata, C. denticulata, C. draconella, C. epilinum, C. epithymum, C. erosa, C. europaea, C. exaltata, C. glabrior, C. glomerata, C. gronovii, C. harperi, C. indecora, C. japonica, C. jepsonii, C. legitima, C. leptantha, C. liliputana, C. mitriformis, C. nevadensis, C. obtusiflora, C. occidentalis, C. odontolepis, C. pacifica, C. pentagona, C. plattensis, C. polygonorum, C. rostrata, C. runyonii, C. salina, C. squamata, C. suaveolens, C. subinclusa, C. suksdorfii, C. tuberculata, C. umbellata, C. umbrosa, C. warneri
Subordinate taxa
C. indecora var. attenuata, C. indecora var. indecora, C. indecora var. longisepala
Name authority Choisy: Mém. Soc. Phys. Genève 9: 278, plate 3, fig. 3. (1842) P. Rubtzov: Leafl. W. Bot. 10: 335. (1966)
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